Wired.co.uk put some questions to him about the technology they have on board now and what he would have liked but didn't have (aside from real food) during the 37,000 nautical mile race.

What piece of technological kit would you say is most important during the race?

I guess that the most important would be our Inmarsat satellite communication package - these comms are useful on many levels from getting media off the boat to receiving weather reports but most importantly they can be used in case of emergency for medical or safety reasons. Even if you are thousands of miles from land, it's nice to know that help is a call away or if you are in difficulty that someone will know you are in trouble and alert the rescue coordinators. Its like having a 'non Orwellian - big brother' keeping an eye on you.

Because of the weight issue, it seems that most luxuries have to be left behind - but if you were allowed a personal piece of technology with you, what would it be?

For me I would like something simple like a washing machine and tumble dryer with a shower nozzle and a 40-inch widescreen plasma fitted on top. Oh and while I'm in my ideal dream mode, you could throw in a fridge and some cool cooking device!

Does technology ever fail on board and if so, what happens next?

There are times when the technology doesn't work - sometimes we can repair the issue and usually have some assistance from the experts ashore but if the equipment fails then we have to get by without it.

There are several contingency plans for each item onboard - some of these back ups are generic throughout the fleet and others are our own solutions to problems which are unique to Ericsson 4. It's an area where experience does help and preparation is key - we try and make sure that no stone is left unturned or no potential problem addressed before we race. On the whole we haven't had too many issues that we have not been able to solve ourselves whilst out here.

How has technology changed ocean racing in the past five years?

Technology within yacht racing mimics what happens elsewhere - it's always evolving, from quicker connection speeds via satellite to better and quicker programming or more accurate GPS positioning. Even the mechanical hardware is getting stronger and lighter which results in a better performance from the yacht - stronger sails, rope, winches etc.

How could technology make the ocean race easier in the future?

There are so many areas where the sport can and will improve as it has done. Often materials perfected for space exploration or the military find their way into yacht racing and sometimes it happens the other way around. Whilst people enjoy winning and have the money to spend then the technology within yacht racing will always be evolving - which in turn improves social and professional aspects of life on the ocean wave - but most importantly in surviving the seas.